PRESS RELEASE - TESS SCOOPS WEST END STAR FOR ALBUM RECORDING

TESS SCOOPS WEST END STAR FOR ALBUM RECORDING

WEST End star and musical theatre heart-throb Simon Bailey has been named as one of three headliners for the album recording of new British musical TESS.
 
Writers Michael Blore and Michael Davies said they were “thrilled” Bailey would be starring in their musical adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s much-loved novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles playing the role of Tess’s great love, Angel Clare.
 
Currently appearing as Bob Gaudio in the West End production of Jersey Boys, Bailey has performed in some of the biggest shows in musical theatre history. He’s played Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s), Enjolras in the 21st anniversary cast of Les Miserables (Queen’s) and Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (New London).

Other credits include We Will Rock You (Dominion), 
​Passion (Donmar Warehouse) and I Can’t Sing! The X-Factor Musical (Palladium). He played Officer Starnes and Tom Watson in the critically acclaimed Parade at the Southwark Playhouse, for which he was nominated in the Broadway World awards as best featured actor in a musical.
 
Bailey is also a founder member of Teatro, Theatreland’s first supergroup. Teatro achieved gold status with their eponymous debut album after just three weeks, making them one of the fastest selling musical theatre acts of all time. They’ve performed across the world, as well as at the Royal Variety Performance. Simon’s solo concerts, meanwhile, have won him fans all over the UK and further afield, including Kuala Lumpur, Egypt and the US.

Simon Bailey will sing Angel Clare

Lyricist Michael Davies said: “We are thrilled and rather awed to have Simon on board. His extraordinary voice and amazing track record in the world of musical theatre will add something wonderful to the role of Angel.”
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TESS is a new, fully sung-through adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s much-loved novel. Pre-production work on the album of the show is already under way, with further casting news expected over the coming weeks and recording scheduled for the summer of 2016.
 
The album will be produced by Sunim Koria, with orchestrations by Michael Blore. Casting announcements for the other two leading roles - Alec d’Urberville and Tess herself - are expected in the next few weeks.